Envelope



T. D. THURMAN ENVELOPE Filed Dec. 4. 1953 IN VENTOR. Truman D. Th urman ME'WW v- Kym ATTORNEY;

June 12, 1956 1 a a w j w u a Z 1 W W I 2 M; 4/ u M MM 1 m m 5 Q n United States Patent ENVELOPE Truman D. Thurman, Memphis, Tenn.

Application December 4, 1953, Serial No. 396,202 1 Claim. 01. 229-85 This invention relates to an envelope and more particularly to an envelope of the type employed for the transmission of mailable matter.

The primary object of this invention is to. facilitate the opening of the envelope and the extraction of the contents therefrom.

Another object is to facilitate the removal of messages including advertising and the like from the enclosing envelope and to avoid danger of tearing or otherwise mutilating the material enclosed in the envelope.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a row of elongated longitudinally spaced indentations in a flap of an envelope, said row of indentations extending in spaced parallel relation to one edge of the front panel of the envelope, a second row of elongated longitudinally spaced indentations in the front panel adjacent the edge thereof adjacent the first mentioned row of indentations, and the rows of indentations registering when the indented flap overlies the front panel.

Other features include so forming the indentations in the flap and the front panel that when the flap overlies the front panel, the indentations therein will lie in staggered relation to the indentations of the front panel and will intermesh therewith.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a plan view of an envelope blank constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is a back view of the completed envelope;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the envelope;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a front view of an envelope of modified construction.

Referring to the drawings in detail, this improved envelope designated generally comprises a front panel 12, a back flap 14 joined to the front panel 12 along a fold line 16, end flaps 18 and 20 joined to the envelope front panel 12 by fold lines 22 and 24, respectively. The front panel 12 is provided with a conventional sealing flap 26 which is joined to the front panel along a fold line 28 and the sealing flap is provided with a conventional gummed area 30 by which it is sealed in closed relation after the contents of the envelope have been introduced thereinto. A row of longitudinally spaced elongated longitudinally extending indentations 32 is formed in the flap 20 and extends in spaced parallel relation to the fold of line 24, and a similar row of longitudinally spaced elongated longitudinally extending indentations 34 are formed in the front panel 12 and, as illustrated in Figure l, the row of indentations 34 is extended through the back panel 14 but does not extend into the sealing flap 26. The indentations 32 and 34 are so spaced relative to one another that they are in staggered relation and are equidistant on opposite sides of the fold of line 24 so that when the flap 20 is folded over, the front panel 12 beneath the back panel 14, as

illustrated in Figure 2, the indentations 32 and 34 will intermesh, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4, to provide along the adjacent side edge of the envelope a tear strip designated generally 36.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figure 5, the rows of indentations are carried in the front panel 38 of an envelope designated generally 40 in spaced parallel relation to the sealing flap (not shown) and a similar row of longitudinally spaced indentations is carried by the sealing flap to define with the front panel 38 of the modified envelope 40 a tear strip designated generally 42. Like the indentations previously described, the indentations in the front panel 38 and its accompanying. sealing flap are arranged in staggered relation so that when the flap is sealed, the indentations will intermesh, as previously described.

In use, the matter to be mailed may be introduced into the envelope in the conventional manner and sealed by moistening the gummed portion 30 of the sealing flap 26. With the end flaps 18 and 20 and the back panel folded in the conventional manner to define the envelope 10, the indentations 32 and 34 will intermesh, as illustrated in Figure 4, to define a weakened portion in both the front panel and the adjacent end flap 20 so that when tearing effort is applied to the tear strip 36, the tear strip may be separated from the envelope with but a minimum of effort and the tearing stress will be alternately transferred from the front panel to the end flap 20. In this way, the contents of the envelope, whether it be a Written message or advertising material, may be readily extracted from the interior of the envelope with but a minimum of effort and no. danger of injury to the contents of the envelope will result.

As will be noted from Figure 3, each of the indentations 32 or 34 is of substantial length as compared to the width thereof, and is formed with rounded ends. The distance between the adjacent ends of adjacent indentations 32 is slightly greater than the overall length of the indentation 34 located between said adjacent indentations 32. As a result, the adjacent ends of adjacent indentations 32, 34 are disposed in closely spaced relation. Further, the rounding of the ends of the several indentations progressively reduces the normal width of each indentation at each end portion thereof, in the direction of the outer terminus or extremity of said end portion. The result is that when the indentations 32 are intermeshed with the indentation 34, and tearing of the envelope along the aligned rows of indentations proceeds, said tearing proceeds along the length of each indentation 32 or 34, and is directed to the longitudinal center line of each indentation when the tearing approaches the end of the indentation. Then, the tearing proceeds to the next indentation, entering said next indentation at the longitudinal center line thereof and proceeding along the length of said next indentation of the opposite end. At said opposite end, should the tearing have moved toward one or the other side of the indentation from the longitudinal center line, it is again guided back to the longitudinal center line due to the progressive reduction of the width of the indentation at said opposite end.

Obviously, in the modified form of the invention, illustrated in Figure 5, the tearing open of the envelope takes place along the edge thereof adjacent the sealing flap and the same advantages are experienced as with the envelope illustrated in Figures 1 through 4, inclusive.

It is to be noted that the indentations 34 extend through the back panel 14 but do not extend into the sealing flap 26 so as to avoid any possibility of weakening the sealing flap and creating an area therein which might become torn or otherwise deformed during the sealing of the envelope.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and de- Patented June 12, 1956.

3 sfibed the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

In an envelope, a front panel, a flap, and means to facilitate the opening of the envelope for the extraction of the contents thereof, comprising a row of indentations in the flap, said row extending in spaced parallel relation to one edge of the front panel and the indentations of the row being elongated in the direction of the length of the row, each indentation having an interr'nediate portion formed with straight sides parallel to one another and to the'lo'ngitudinal center line of the indentation, each indentation having end portions progressively reduced in width in'the direction of the extremities of the indentation, and a second row of indentations in the front panel adjacent said one edge thereof, the rows of indentations registering when the indented flap overlies the front panel, the indentations of the front panel being formed identically to those of the flap, adjacent ends of adjacent indentations of the front panel being spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the overall length of each indentation of the flap and the indentations of the flap and front panel being staggered longitudinally of the registering rows, each indentation of the flap lying wholly in the space between adjacent indentations of the front panel, said reduction in width of the indentations of the flap and front panel forming means guiding to the longitudinal center line of the rows a tear line following the registering rows, as said tear line arrives at the end of one indentation of one row and proceeds into the adjacent indentation of the other row.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 211,725 Foster Jan. 28, 1879 1,142,349 Merrill June 8, 1915 1,385,471 Reilly July 26, 1921 2,189,431 Moore Feb. 6, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 4,864 Great Britain 1893 

